Real-time
strategy has been an overloaded genre in the gaming industry, and
it is not about to get any smaller. The flow of attempts to beat
games like Total Annihilation, Command & Conquer, and Starcraft
is constant, but none have yet been exceptionally successful. The
release date for Psygnosis' and Zono's upcoming real-time strategy
is around the time which Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun is
scheduled for release (but who knows?), therefore, the anticipation
of Westwood Studios' sequel to one of the best real-time strategy
games will overshadow a game that definitely should not be forgotten.
Metal Fatigue is a 3D-accelerated real-time strategy game that mends
the themes of Japanese animation stories into a full fledged war
between three different factions far into the future. Using the
same ingredients which Blizzard Entertainment and Westwood Studios
integrated in their smash-hits, Metal Fatigue also puts a twist
to the name "real-time strategy."

Having a great passion, or even a dream, to make a
game has been something lacked in the gaming industry lately. I
have not seen a game where someone has nearly fallen deeply in love
with the characters in any game. Jason Hough, the game designer
of Metal Fatigue, was asked several questions by Avault
concerning their upcoming real-time strategy's design innovation.

Q: What originally stimulated you to begin
developing Metal Fatigue? How have the development ideas for it
changed over time? Looking, is there anything in the design process
you would have done differently had you known what you know now?

A: We thought the industry needed a fresh
approach to the RTS genre. The original concept for Metal Fatigue
was based solely around the idea of robots that could re-configure
themselves with various things they'd find in the game. This was
also a good fit with an advanced animation system we developed
on the last project. Eventually our love of real-time strategy
games blended in with the idea of robots reconfiguring themselves
and created what we have now.

If we'd known when we started the project that 3D
acceleration would become so common, I think we would have started
with the idea of a full 3D world. Originally the Robots, or Combots
as well call them, were the only 3D object in the game. As development
went on, and Psygnosis agreed to require a 3D accelerator, we
were able to make the entire game 3D.

The story of Metal Fatigue takes place in the future
where tanks are unheard of. Enormous death-machines sixty-feet tall
battle each other with their overpowering technology. Three factions
fight for territory, money, and power while betrayal, deceit, and
bravery pave the way to victory. However, the history of how these
faction met is crucial to drive the player into Metal Fatigue.

During the 23rd century man has discovered faster-than-light
travel and finally reached the stars. Intergalactic exploration
has only confirmed
man's two worst fears.

First, an alien warlike race with vastly superior
technology does exist. On planet after planet, a survey fleet
of Earth ships discovered the ruins of sentient cultures which
all appear to have been annihilated eons ago. Analysis of these
worlds and the vast remains of decaying war machines suggested
that a single race, dubbed "Hedoth," had systematically swept
through the galaxy and eliminated every sentient civilization
in its path.

As the Earth ships traced the path of destruction
back towards its source, paranoia mounted and Earth's CorpoNations
began frantically upgrading their military forces. After decades
of intermittent infighting, the CorpoNations called a general
truce in expectation of one day encountering the Hedoth. Technological
insights gleaned from the wreckage of ancient Hedoth war machines
proved invaluable and the military might of CorpoNations escalated
at an astounding rate.

Most CorpoNations advocated pulling back and hoped
they would never cross paths with the Hedoth. Instead, the largest
three CorpoNations (Rimtech, Mil-Agro, Neuropa) relentlessly advanced
their combined fleet. They had achieved their dominant position
through a ruthless Darwinian struggle and refused to leave the
opportunity for even greater technological plunder to another
CorpoNation. Besides, the foundation of their socio-business strategy
was to always eliminate the biggest competitive threats - and
that now meant the Hedoth.

As survey ships finally reached the Hedoth system,
the three CorpoNations massed their war fleets nearby and prepared
for the ultimate conflict. When the scout ships reported their
findings, man's second worst fear was realized: we are alone.
The Hedoth home worlds were vacant.

The Hedoth left no clue of where they went: scattered
installations and miscellaneous guard drones were all they left
behind. This discovery set off a frenzied "gold rush" among the
three CorpoNations, only better. Being the first to plunder pristine
and operational Hedoth technology meant more than currency, it
meant power.

When
I first read this backstory, I thought it was a game that actually
does have a point to play. A rich history behind the game will always
push the game forward. Instead of just jumping right into the single
player, or the multiplayer nowadays, there will be something added
into Metal Fatigue to attract the player. More will be revealed
in this epic story when they complete missions. I believe this is
way to go for any real-time strategy. Many real-time strategy games
I have played have been incredibly weak in the single player section
mainly because there was no history behind it. Metal Fatigue has
done the opposite and strived to create an entire realm to base
one awesome single-player game on.